Photo shows party crashers met Obama
Source: Agencies |
November 29, 2009, Sunday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
THE White House has released a photo showing that the couple who crashed President Barack Obama's first state dinner actually shook hands and talked to him - contradicting earlier Secret Service claims that Obama was never endangered by the security breach.
As the White House disclosed that the Virginia couple, Michaele and Tareq Salahi, met Obama in the receiving line, a "deeply concerned and embarrassed" Secret Service on Friday acknowledged that its officers never checked whether the two were on the guest list before letting them onto the White House grounds.
The White House released a photo showing the Salahis in the receiving line in the Blue Room with Obama and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, in whose honor the dinner was held. Obama and reality TV hopeful Michaele Salahi are smiling as she grasps his right hand with both of hers and her husband looks on. Singh is standing to Obama's left.
The Secret Service earlier had said the president was not in danger because the couple - like others at the dinner - had gone through magnetometers. But in light of their close proximity to the president, no such claim was made on Friday.
The Salahis were not on the guest list and should have been barred from entering last Tuesday's dinner on the White House South Lawn for the prime minister of India, said Secret Service Director Mark Sullivan.
Sullivan said the agency that protects the president is "deeply concerned and embarrassed" that procedures were not followed.
"As our investigation continues, appropriate measures have been taken to ensure this is not repeated," Sullivan said in a written statement.
"The preliminary findings of our internal investigation have determined established protocols were not followed at an initial checkpoint, verifying that two individuals were on the guest list," Sullivan said. "That failing is ours."
As the White House disclosed that the Virginia couple, Michaele and Tareq Salahi, met Obama in the receiving line, a "deeply concerned and embarrassed" Secret Service on Friday acknowledged that its officers never checked whether the two were on the guest list before letting them onto the White House grounds.
The White House released a photo showing the Salahis in the receiving line in the Blue Room with Obama and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, in whose honor the dinner was held. Obama and reality TV hopeful Michaele Salahi are smiling as she grasps his right hand with both of hers and her husband looks on. Singh is standing to Obama's left.
The Secret Service earlier had said the president was not in danger because the couple - like others at the dinner - had gone through magnetometers. But in light of their close proximity to the president, no such claim was made on Friday.
The Salahis were not on the guest list and should have been barred from entering last Tuesday's dinner on the White House South Lawn for the prime minister of India, said Secret Service Director Mark Sullivan.
Sullivan said the agency that protects the president is "deeply concerned and embarrassed" that procedures were not followed.
"As our investigation continues, appropriate measures have been taken to ensure this is not repeated," Sullivan said in a written statement.
"The preliminary findings of our internal investigation have determined established protocols were not followed at an initial checkpoint, verifying that two individuals were on the guest list," Sullivan said. "That failing is ours."
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